The water pump on the 1997 Jeep Wrangler is located in the front of the engine. The pump pulls water from the radiator and pushes it into the engine, which helps to keep the engine running cool. The process of replacing the water pump on the 1997 Jeep Wrangler is labor intensive and due to the skills required, requires a basic understanding of automotive repair to do the job done correctly and without causing leaks around the seals that hold the coolant in.
Place a drain pan under the radiator petcock on the bottom of the radiator and drain the contents of the radiator into the drain pan. Open the petcock using a pair of pliers. Close the petcock once you drain the radiator.
Locate the tensioner pulley next to the crankshaft pulley and place a 3/8-inch ratchet driver into the square hole on the pulley. Rotate the pulley upward with the ratchet and remove the serpentine belt from the engine.
Disconnect the hoses connected to the water pump using a pair of pliers. There will be two hoses, a large one and a smaller one.
Remove the four bolts that secure the pulley to the front of he water pump and then pry the pulley from the water pump using a pry bar.
Remove the four bolts that secure the water pump to the engine block and pull the pump from the engine.
Scrape the old gasket out of the surface of the engine block using a metal scraper.
Remove the thermostat housing and the thermostat from the bottom of the old water pump. Since thermostats are relatively cheap, this is a good time to replace the old thermostat with a new one since you already have the old thermostat out. The malfunctioning water pump could cause later problems in the thermostat, so it makes sense to use a new thermostat as a replacement. Place the new thermostat o-ring onto the new thermostat, and mount the thermostat and thermostat housing onto the water pump using the socket and ratchet.
Place the new gasket onto the mating surface of the new water pump
Place the water pump O-ring onto the new water pump and lubricate it with engine coolant.
Place the water pump back into the engine and secure it using the four bolts, socket and ratchet.
Place the pulley back onto the water pump and secure it using the four bolts, socket and ratchet.
Place the two hoses back onto the water pump and secure them using the hose clamps and pliers.
Place the serpentine belt back onto the engine pulleys. Use the diagram printed on the radiator shroud to help you route the belt. Pull up on the tensioner pulley and slide the belt over that pulley. Remove the ratchet from the tensioner pulley.
Drain the engine coolant back into the radiator.
